Extra Flugzeugbau EA 300/S accident near Pendelton, Oregon, May 20, 2017
On May 20, 2017 at about 9:59 pm local time, a 1999 Extra Flugzeugbau EA 300/S, registered N68PW, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Pendelton, Oregon (Eastern Oregon Rgnl At Pendlet airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to follow checklists to ensure the canopy was secured before takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 2017 · about 9:59 pm local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Pendelton, Oregon · Eastern Oregon Rgnl At Pendlet · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Extra Flugzeugbau EA 300/S S, built 1999 · all EA 300/Ss on the register
- Registration
- N68PW · registry record · serial 030
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that, shortly after starting the takeoff roll for the local flight, the canopy lifted up and then separated from the airplane. The airplane subsequently veered left, exited the runway, and struck an airport runway sign during the aborted takeoff, which resulted in substantial damage to the canopy and wing. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies with the canopy, canopy attachment bolts, mounting bolt holes, latches, or locking mechanism that would have precluded normal operation. Two normal checklists (the Before Starting Engine and Taxi checklists) in the airplane's pilot's operating handbook call for the pilot to check that the canopy is closed and locked before takeoff. The pilot stated that he did not remember checking that the canopy was locked and also stated that he was fairly sure that it was not latched; thus, it is likely that the pilot did not ensure that the canopy was properly secured before takeoff.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Part(s) separation from AC during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Incorrect use/operation other cases naming the airframe structure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 590 hours in all; 133 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 540 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 25, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,398.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 7, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,028 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-580-X (piston); 961 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDT Pendelton OR at 9:59 pm
- Destination: PDT Pendelton OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 5,581 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PDT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 12, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Email | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N68PW on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Extra Flugzeugbau EA 300 13 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Extra Flugzeugbau 14 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-580-X 19 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Eastern Oregon Regional AT Pendleton · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,008 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR17LA116.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.